


I lay awake thinking of you

by Tattoolwt



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Insomnia, Jealousy, Love, M/M, Minor Harry Styles/Original Male Character(s), Oblivious Harry, Original Character(s), Pining Louis, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25153177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tattoolwt/pseuds/Tattoolwt
Summary: "Can't sleep?""Never can, you know that.""Guess I'll just have to bore you to sleep then."Harry has insomnia and cannot for the life of him sleep for more than an hour at a time, leading to many restless nights of staring up at the ceiling and counting sheep, which for the record never works.Louis is the best friend of the most preciously oblivious boy he has ever met. A boy he is falling painfully in love with more and more every day, without him even noticing. A boy who calls him up in the middle of the night because he can't sleep, and of course Louis answers, because how could he ever say no to that boy?
Relationships: Harry Styles & Original Character(s), Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	I lay awake thinking of you

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fluffy little oneshot I accidentally spent an entire weekend writing, for whatever reason. I hope you enjoy and please leave kudos and comments if you did. all the love x

Louis startled awake as the shrill sound of his marimba ringtone tore through the calm quiet of his room. He shot up into a sitting position, gazing confusedly around for a moment in a still half-asleep state for the sound. Coming to his senses, he reached over to his nightstand, tugging his phone from his charger and blindly pressing the green call button, the brightness of his screen hindering him to see who was calling, but he did not need the caller ID to tell him that. With a glance at his digital clock by the bed, the red numbers glaring 3:32am back at him, he stifled a yawn and laid the phone against his ear.

"Hi, Hazza," he said softly.

It was quiet on the other end for a while, Louis was about to check if the call had disconnected when Harry's voice came from the other side of the line.

"Hi."

"Can't sleep?"

"Never can, you know that."

"Guess I'll just have to bore you to sleep then."

Harry snorted. "Guess you'll have to do that." His voice becoming louder as it always did when he realised that Louis was in fact not angry with him for calling in the middle of the night yet again.

"What do you want to talk about, then?" Louis turned over in his bed, tucking the covers up to his chin as he listened to Harry's breathing.

"I don't know," Harry mumbled. "You decide."

"How about... I tell you all about the early life of Edgar Allan Poe?"

Harry only groaned in response; a smile tugged at the corner of Louis lips.

"No?" He teased. "Then what about dear Shakespeare? Oscar Wilde?"

"Lou with all due respect, that's boring." He could even hear Harry's pout in his voice.

"Come on Haz, I got to study for my exam next week. Why can't I practice on you?"

"Because you're studying English literature, Lou." Harry said, trying and failing to sound exasperated. "That's dead boring."

"Excuse you, sir." Louis gasped. "It is very interesting, you looking at flowers all day is what's boring."

Harry laughed. "That's not at all what a florist does, Lou. Get with the game."

"You can get with the game," Louis huffed.

"Oh, what a burn."

"Shut up."

Harry laughed. Louis really loved that sound. He was convinced that every time Harry laughed, a baby angel was born, and no one could convince him otherwise. He heard the rustling of sheets, probably Harry turning over in his bed. It was weird, how it felt like he was right beside him, but in reality, Harry was all the way across the opposite side of town in his own apartment and in his own bed, not in Louis'.

"If not classics, what can we talk about?" Louis asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know." Harry said a bit muffled, as if half his face was pressed against his pillow. "I'm just content with listening to your breathing."

Louis snorted. "Harry, mate, that sounds very creepy."

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean." Harry said. "It's nice, not feeling like you're alone."

Louis smiled, he felt as if his heart had grown at least two sizes. "I'll gladly be that for you, then."

Harry let out a breath, somewhere between a laugh and a yawn.

"Have you taken your meds?" Louis asked.

"Mhm," Harry hummed. "But it's not falling asleep that's the problem really, so the sleeping pills barely do anything. I fall asleep fine, it's just the waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep again that is the problem."

"And nothing of what you've tried has worked?" Louis asked.

"Nope," Harry said, popping the 'p'.

"That sucks."

"It really does," Harry agreed. "But I mean, you get used to it. And not many people have such good friends that stay on the phone with them when the insomnia clown wakes them."

Friends, right.

"That I am," Louis chuckled, trying to steady his voice. "A good friend, I mean."

He could hear Harry's intake of breath as he stifled a yawn. "You really are." He mumbled.

"But hey, it's your birthday next week." Louis reminded him. "The big twenty-one. Let's discuss that."

"Oh, yeah." Harry perked up at that. "I forgot about that."

"Don't even try," Louis laughed. "You've been pestering me with this since new years."

"I have not," Harry defended himself, Louis could almost see him crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure you haven't. But we'll have to celebrate big, I don't have to buy alcohol for you anymore, after all." Louis subconsciously turned to look towards his dresser, where he'd had Harry's birthday present for almost a month.

It was a T-shirt with a picture of the two of them printed on it. Louis felt fond over that memory; it was from when Harry had turned eighteen, and Louis had taken him out to his first bar as an official adult. They had celebrated with maybe a tad too much cheap wine and mojito bowls, dangerous things those were, but nonetheless they'd had a fantastic night. The picture was a somewhat crooked and unsteady selfie. Louis had his arms around Harrys shoulders, kissing his cheek while Harry, who had the longer limbs, had his arms stretched out to take the photo while smiling dazedly. His eyes were slightly red and glassy, but happy nonetheless.

Louis loved that photo.

"Lou? You there?"

"What?" Louis zoned back to their conversation dazedly. "I'm sorry Hazza, what did you say?"

"I was just talking about my party and I wondered if you could get here early to help me set up."

"I don't know Haz," Louis said slowly. "Can I?"

"Can you stop being a dick?" Harry whined, breaking out into a laugh when Louis gasped at him. 

"Now I definitely won't help you," Louis said.

"Pretty, pretty please?" Harry drawled out. "For the benefit of our voice call, I'm bringing out my best puppy eyes."

"Oh really?" Louis asked.

"Really. Please, it has to be perfect. Jacob is coming."

Louis stiffened where he lie. "Oh... Is he?" He tried his best to sound excited, he really did.

"He is," Louis felt his heart crack a little at how excited Harry sounded. "And you know I really want to impress him. And to top it all off, he just finished it off with his boyfriend last week."

"You want to be his rebound." Louis could not keep the disdain out of his voice this time.

"You don't sound very supportive," Harry countered.

"Well, I just think you're better than that Harry—I mean," Louis rambled out, stumbling over his own tongue. "You deserve better."

"Why are you so certain I'm going to be a rebound, anyway?" Harry asked. "How are you so sure he's not looking for a new boyfriend?"

"Because," Louis sat up in his bed. He was feeling wide awake now. Wide awake and agitated. "Because that's not who he is, we both know that, Haz. He uses boys and tosses them aside when he loses interest in them."

"That's not true," Harry argued. "And even if it were, I'm sure I can be the one to—"

"You can't change him, Harry." Louis sighed. "That's not how it works, not with guys like him."

"How are you so sure?"

"I just—Know, okay?" Louis took a deep breath; he was getting too worked up. "Can we please talk about something else?"

"I'm feeling sleepy, thanks for the company." Harry said, his tone flat. "Good night, Louis."

The line went dead.

"Fuck me," Louis groaned, dropping back down on his mattress.

He had called him Louis; he only ever does that when he's upset.

"Fuck Jacob." Louis turned angrily to his side, bending to retrieve his charger and plugged his phone back in. "Fuck everything."

He closed his eyes, exhaustion taking the overhand and soon he was swept away by dreams of Harry standing by the altar with a faceless man, saying his 'I do's.

A man who was not him.

...

The next day went on in a slow crawl, Louis tried his best to get his essay writing done, which was proving to be harder said than done. He had spent the day on his couch, laptop in front of him and trying to get his jumbled thoughts into coherent words. It was just that... It was an essay on love, of all things. Love in classic writing, to top it all off. Louis did not like love very much; or rather he did not believe in it. That spark said to erupt between two people that then in some magical way get together to live their lives happily ever after. That just made no sense to Louis. It made no sense to be that simple.

Louis startled when his phone suddenly vibrated where it lay on his stomach. He looked around feeling disorientated. He must have fallen asleep on his couch; his laptop with his almost finished essay was atop his lap, reference books scattered across the living room floor.

He picked the phone up bleary eyed, blinking once or twice to make the screen come into sharper focus, he really should be wearing his glasses more. It was a text from Harry.

Haz: I'm sorry for just hanging up on you like that last night, that wasn't fair. Forgive me?

Louis sighed deeply, fingers hoovering over his screen. Finally typing out a response.

Lou: I'm sorry too, I acted stubbornly. Forgive each other?

The answering text came almost immediately.

Harry: For sure. How about we buy each other I'm sorry sundaes at Ice Ice Baby?

Louis snorted, of course he would suggest that. Harry loved that corny place with an even cornier name.

Lou: Why not? I just need to finish of my essay, see you there in an hour?

Haz: You got it, see you there! And good luck x

Lou: Thanks Hazza-bear xxx

Haz: Oh shut up

Louis smiled at his screen before putting it to the side and dragging his laptop towards him.

"Okay, let's finish this." He said to himself, skimming over his last paragraph that was concluding his text.

In conclusion; Love is pain, love is a sickness. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a prime example of this, but the same sentiment is present in other classics; like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We see it every time, everywhere. Therefore, one must ask themselves if the prize is worth the walk, and if the walk is worth the prize, even though there may not even be one in the end. In Wuthering Heights love is mainly the cause of the problem, a negative force. If Heathcliff loved Catherine as he says that he does, why not let her go to marry the more proper Edgar Linton and spare her the despair? Instead of selflessness, love seems to spark a thirst for obsessive revenge in him, which leads me to the conclusion that what Brontë is trying to say is that love is a sickness.

Another example, as mentioned in the second paragraph, is in Shakespeare's As you like it, act 3 scene 2. The quote that I am referring to reads as following: "Love is merely a madness and, I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do, and the reason why they are not so punished and cured is that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers are in love, too."

Again, love is described as a sickness and a curse. Unrequited love just as well as answered love. It all boils down to if one is ready to take a leap, even if they lose everything. Even if they lose their Catherine, or their Juliet. Is it worth the sickness and the pain, is love worth it at all?

Louis closed his laptop lid with a groan. He would have to go and edit that later, when he was in a better state of mind, but for now he had ice cream with Harry to take care of. Snippets of his conclusion spun in his head as he changed out of dirty sweatpants and into a pair of jeans and put on his jacket. As he headed out the door and towards the lift that one question made itself known in his mind's eye.

Even if they lose their Catherine, or their Juliet... Is love worth it at all?

...

"I can't believe you made me pay for that." Louis said giving Harry's sundae a disgusted look.

"What?" Harry said, looking offended. "The chocolate supreme deluxe is great on its own, but with added chocolate sauce and sprinkles it becomes a pure wet dream."

"Shut your dirty mouth," Louis snorted as he took a spoon of his own ice cream. "At least I won't be getting a sugar poisoning."

"Just because you are all boring and chose the tropical fantasy." Harry countered. "It's boring, Lou."

"How in God's name can you call it boring?" Louis gasped. "It ticks all the boxes, the sweet from the watermelon ice cream and then the tangy of the cherry sorbet and just the hint of sour in the kiwi sorbet. It's a match made in heaven."

"You talk like a grown up at a wine tasting," Harry laughed, mocking Louis in a high voice. "It has just the right amount of bitterness and sweet, but just the right amount of sourness to finish it of in a delighting balance."

"I will throw this sundae in your face and make you buy me a new one," Louis threatened, grasping his bowl in both his hands as ready to lunge it at him.

"No you won't," Harry smiled cheekily.

Louis raised a sceptical brow at him. "Oh really? And why not?"

"Because then you would have to spend all night helping me wash sticky sorbet out of my hair, and you have school tomorrow." Harry laughed when Louis only scowled at him.

"I hate you."

"I know you love me."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"You are such a dick, you know that?" Louis rolled his eyes at him, but cracked a smile when Harry only poked his tongue out at him. "And you have chocolate sauce on your nose, Here." He leaned over the table with a napkin in his hand and wiped away the sticky mess from Harry's nose, getting closer than he had intended.

Louis' breath caught in his throat; from this close he could se the specs of gold in Harry's otherwise green eyes, he could se the faint hint of freckles starting to show as summer was nearing and the boy was spending more time outside in the sun. He could see the faint hint of a blush coating his cheeks, and just like that he was ripped out of his trance, realizing that he had been staring for way too long.

"I—Thanks." Harry stuttered, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Uhm, thanks—I mean, no problem." Louis sunk back into his own seat, feeling like he wanted to sink through it to the ground below.

"So," Harry seemed to take an unnecessary long time to spoon up his next heap of chocolate ice cream. "About my birthday party this Friday... Will you help?"

"Of course I'll help," Louis said. "I'll help you make the best impression on Jacob that you possibly can, if that is what you want."

Harry smiled, although it did not reach his eyes as it used to. "Thanks."

Louis nodded; He took the last spoonful of his sundae before reaching for his jacket.

"It's getting kind of late, and I need to finish my essay before school tomorrow, I'm supposed to draft it to my group in my first class."

"Oh," Harry looked up at him, somewhat startled. "Of course, text you later?"

Louis knew that he would most likely be getting a call from Harry in a few hours from now anyway, but he smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

...

The next few days flew by. Louis studied for a madman for his week of exams that would begin Monday and end Friday, the same day as Harry's birthday. When he was not talking to Harry he was studying, foregoing both food and sleep to the point where Harry had yelled at him for a good five minutes of the importance of taking care of yourself. He had then proceeded by crashing into Louis small studio apartment, arms full of grocery bags, and wanting to hear none of it as he began cooking up enough food to feed an entire hockey team for a week.

"You didn't have to do that," Louis said as Harry put down a bowl of Spaghetti bolognaise in front of him that evening.

"I know I didn't," Harry said softly. "But I wanted to. Your exams start tomorrow and I want to make sure you're eating properly."

"Thanks, Hazza." Louis smiled gratefully at him, putting his laptop to the side and picked up the steaming bowl of food.

"I brought you this, too." Harry stood from the sofa and went back into the kitchen, coming back out with a little potted plant. "It's a little succulent, it doesn't need much care so even you should be able to keep it alive."

"Wow I'm flattered," Louis laughed, admiring the small plant as Harry gave it to him, before putting it on his windowsill. "But I have killed cactuses in the past, just a warning."

"How can you be that bad?" Harry laughed and shook his head as he sat back down next to Louis. "That I'm even friends with you."

"I'm so sorry my abilities to properly take care of plants disappoints you, didn't realize it'd be a dealbreaker." Louis joked, blowing on the food before shoving some hungrily into his mouth.

"I'm a florist Lou. We're from two different worlds. A plant-lover and a plant-destroyer simply can't be friends." Harry said.

"You are a part time florist so you can shut it and eat with me instead." Louis laughed, nodding towards the bowl Harry had prepared for himself.

"How are you feeling about the exams?" Harry asked as he took his first bite, humming happily at the food.

"I don't know, really." Louis shrugged. "I mean, I don't think I could have prepared more for them than I already have, so we'll have to wait and see how it goes I guess."

"That's a healthy way to think of it," Harry nodded.

"How are you feeling about turning twenty-one in less than a week?" Louis asked, putting down his bowl after finishing his last spoonful of pasta.

"I don't know," Harry echoed. "A little weird, I mean. I'm considered an adult for real then."

"Being an adult is awesome, what are you worried about?" Louis looked at him calculatingly.

"No clue, just... Growing up, I guess." Harry shrugged. "These are supposed to be your prime-time years, right? And I'm just realizing that I'm only getting one shot in making something of them."

"I am sure you'll do fine, Haz." Louis put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But let's focus on having fun first before we dive head first into an existential crisis, okay?"

Harry let out a small giggle that got Louis' heart to melt a little. "Yeah, okay."

"Great! So," Louis put up his feet to sit cross legged in the sofa, turned to Harry. "What exactly do you need my help with this Friday?"

"Well first of all I really need an outfit, styling advice. You are good at that kind of stuff" Harry said making Louis snort.

"Yeah sure," Louis looked down at his worn sweatpants that were more lint than pant at this point, with a permanent stain on his left thigh from when he had dropped his entire glass of red wine over himself, and his old hoodie with his high school logo on it. "Sure," He said again, chuckling.

"You know what I mean," Harry said, poking Louis in the side.

"And I thank you for the sweet compliment, Hazza." Louis teased. "What else?"

"I need help with the decorating and to get the food from the catering place."

"Oh catered food, fancy." Louis nodded. "I can see if I can borrow my parents' car, and I can get that for you."

"Thank you Lou, that would help a lot. I was worried about having to take all of that on the bus."

"Just get your thumb out of your ass and get yourself a driver's license."

"It's not that easy." Harry sighed.

"Sure it is," Louis argued. "If I can take one, anyone can. I can take you to practice sometime."

"You'd love that, I'm sure." Harry laughed. "Having a reason to sit in a car and pester me about my driving skills. You're not even allowed to be my supervisor until you've had your own licence for five years."

"Oh whatever," Louis waved his hand in dismissal. "I've had mine for like three and a half, close enough."

"Yeah okay, we'll do that." Harry said, not being entirely against the idea, it did sound pretty fun. "You're the one who will have to deal with your poor mother when I back her car into a tree or something."

"Yeah, yeah. That's a problem for later." Louis said. "But now I want to find out about Jacob, what is our plan to seduce him?"

"What has gotten into you about that?" Harry asked. "Just the other day you sounded like you hated the guy, said that I shouldn't be his rebound."

Louis shrugged. "I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, if you trust that he won't hurt you, I trust you. But if he does hurt you, I will bash his face in with my baseball bat."

"Louis holy shit you can't just say stuff like that," Harry said. "What if someone hears you and reports you for threatening him?"

"I'm not too worried," Louis dismissed him. "I can go to jail for bashing his face in if it's for hurting you. I have no problem with that."

"Oh my knight in shining armour," Harry said dreamily, pretending to swoon, which earned him a punch in the arm by Louis. You are a dork and I hate you."

"Sure you do," Harry smiled cheekily at him. "So much."

"Fuck off."

"Absolutely."

"You're an arse."

"I sure am."

"Stop agreeing with me, Harry!"

Harry laughed, throwing his head back. "Why should I when it's so fun?"

"Just shut up and go get me some more food." Louis decided, placing his empty bowl in Harry's hand before he pulled his laptop back into his lap.

When Harry came back with another bowl of steaming food for him, Louis' eyes were glued to his screen.

"What's up?" Harry asked, sitting down next to him and placing the food on the coffee table.

"I got a grade on my essay in the portrayal and depiction of love in classics." Louis said distractedly as his eyes zoomed back and forth on the screen.

"And...?" Harry asked.

Louis shrugged. "It's okay."

Harry leaned over to get a glance at Louis' screen. "Lou you got a 95, that's great!"

"Meh," Louis shrugged again.

"Shut up." Harry said. "You my dear sir, needs to learn to appreciate when you have a work well done, and to take my praise when I tell you that you're good at what you're doing."

Louis released his eyes from the screen to look up at him. "Thanks, Haz, I'll try."

And Harry could sense that he really did mean it.

"That sounds like an incredibly hazy and vague topic though," Harry drew his feet up from the floor and made himself more comfortable on the sofa, leaning into Louis to see his screen properly. "Can I read a little bit of the essay?"

Louis felt his heart rate spike as their shoulders touched. Harry was so warm, clad in only a muscle tee and a pair of jeans shorts his skin touched Louis'. Louis felt heat rise to his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, uhm. It's not my best but it's—"

"Oh stop it already." Harry said, and with a nod from Louis took the other's laptop to read the essay that Louis had pulled up on the screen.

"Is love the salvation or the destruction of life?" Harry read the title out loud. "Well shit that got kind of dark really fast."

"Well you'll have to read to find out, won't you?" Louis gave him a small smile.

Harry read on while Louis sat in silene, picking at his nails nervously. He hummed here and there while reading, and Louis barely resisted the urge to look over at where in the text he was at. When he had finally finished, Harry closed the lid of the laptop slowly.

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah," Louis sighed. "It's kind of... Dark. I know."

"Is that how you feel?" Harry asked. "About love?"

"I—No, that's what Bruntë and Shakespeare feels about love, not me."

"But you chose to write about their books, so that kind of portrays how you feel." Harry prodded carefully.

Louis huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not my fault that there are no happy romance stories in classic literature."

"But there are." Harry argued "What about Gone with the wind? Or Jane Eyre, for that matter. Both of them have happy endings."

Louis stared at him. "Since when do you know so much about classic literature?"

"Since I realized you love it so much," Harry gave him a small smile.

Louis felt a sudden urge of something inside of him, to do something rash like to kiss Harry right then and there... But he couldn't.

"I—Don't know what to say now."

"Is that how you feel about love?" Harry asked again, nodding towards the computer on the coffee table. "That it's pain and a sickness?"

Louis said nothing, shifting his gaze down to his hands that were resting in his lap. That seemed to be answer enough for Harry, who enveloped him in a tight hug, arms around his shoulders.

"I don't need to take Jacob up anymore, or any of my love interests for that matter. Not if it makes you uncomfortable. Talking about stuff like that, I mean."

That's not why I don't like him, the voice inside of Louis said. It's because I want to be that person for you. I want to be what he is to you!

But he said nothing, just nodded and snuggled as close to Harry as he could, breathing him in.

\---

Louis really had to change his ringtone. The shrill sound of the Marimba one scared him half to death every time, and this time was no exception. He shot straight up in his bed, momentarily disorientated before he remembered where he was. The clock read a miserable 4:16am when he picked up the call.

"Hey, Hazza."

"I'm so sorry, I know you have your exams tomorrow, I just—"

"Hey, hey." Louis soothed him. "It's okay, I'm not mad."

"You promise?"

"Of course, Curly." Louis teased, stifling a yawn.

"My hair hasn't been curly since high school." Harry whined. "When are you going to let that go?" 

"Never," Louis grinned. He did not need to see Harry to know that he was pouting.

"You're mean." Harry muttered.

"And you're incapable of being mad at me for more than two seconds, so I'm not too worried." Louis said, laughing when Harry let out a 'Hmpf' in response.

"So," Louis said after a moment's silence. "What do you want to talk about tonight?"

"It's raining." Harry mumbled.

"It is," Louis nodded. "Does that help you sleep? I heard it does for many people."

"No," Harry sighed. "The opposite really, it's loud."

Louis laughed quietly. "Yeah, I can see that." He paused for a moment. "Aren't you working tomorrow?"

"Yup," Harry yawned. "I am going to be dead on my feet. I start in three hours."

"You poor soul," Louis said. "I really mean it, that sounds terrible."

"Meh," Harry sighed. "It's usually pretty quiet on Mondays. Fridays are worse, that's when all the lovesick boyfriends come to buy bouquets of roses for their partners."

"Aw that sounds sweet," Louis said, rolling over in bed.

"It is," Harry agreed. "Until Chad comes in two minutes before closing and asks us to do a flower arrangement of the first letter in his girlfriends name. It takes every ounce in me not to tell him to fuck off."

Louis snorted. "I would."

"I know, and that's why you don't work here." Harry teased.

"And because flowers make my nose itch," Louis added. "I don't get how you could stand working in a fragrance bomb all day."

"My sense of smell died many moons ago, dear Lou." Harry said, making Louis laugh.

"You're an idiot."

"But that's why you're friends with me."

"Shut up."

Harry laughed, twisting over in bed to lay on his back, staring up to his ceiling.

"You know... Jacob came in today." He said carefully, not really daring to take the subject up with Louis after their conversation earlier.

"Yeah?" Louis said.

"He ordered roses," Harry mumbled. "Do you think... He's got someone new?"

"When doesn't he?" Louis huffed, then said "I'm sorry. He just annoys the hell out of me." He sighed. "I don't know, Hazza. I guess you'll have to ask him. But knowing you, I know that you won't."

"I'm not that bold," Harry shook his head. "He kind of intimidates me."

"Then why would you want to date him?" Louis asked, astonished.

"Because," Louis thought that Harry sounded a little embarrassed. "That's kinda sexy, isn't it?"

"Oh yes, being scared of your partner is very sexy." Louis deadpanned.

"I'm not scared of him," Harry argued. "It's more of an exciting intimidation, it's hard to explain."

"Seems like it," Louis nodded. "Anyway, want to meet for coffee tomorrow? After I'm done with exams and you're off work?"

"I'd like that." Harry smiled, hiding his face in his pillow even though Louis couldn't see him.

"I can borrow the car and pick you up, when are you finished?" Louis asked, relieved that they were off the Jacob subject.

"I finish at four, thank you, Lou."

"Absolutely no problem." Louis smiled. "Feeling any better sleep-wise?"

"I always do when talking to you," Harry yawned, proving his point.

"Are you calling me boring?" Loui asked.

"No," Harry laughed. "Or maybe."

"I am offended." Louis gasped.

"You're the best Lou. Good night."

"Night Haz, sleep tight."

"You too."

...

Louis could finally breathe again as he walked out of his last exam that Friday afternoon. It had not gone too well, but if he was lucky, he would at least be able to scrape a passing grade. He had tried, he really had, but it was hard to focus on writing in the romantic era when thoughts of Harry seemed to bubble up in his head every two seconds. Thoughts of Harry tipsy off of one too many glasses of wine that night, Harry snuggled up in Jacob's arms, or worse, Harry snuggled up in Jacob's bed.

Louis shook his head. No, he could not think like that. He thought back on Wuthering Heights that he had written his essay on, and realized with a pang that he was not much different from Heathcliff. If he really did love Harry, he should let Harry do what makes him happy. Which is to let him be with Jacob, even if that hurts him. It would hurt him more to be the one that hurts Harry. Harry who was his best friend, his confidant through thick and thin since they met that awkward and awful first day in high school. Harry who had offered him a seat at his lunch table, because of course Harry'd had no problem making friends to sit with. Harry who was the closest thing that Louis had ever gotten to feel love. Love felt like some sort of epidemy, he thought. It's everywhere, and disgustingly easy to get infected by. But then all it brings is pain; soul-crushing pain until you wither up and die, or succumb to it. Louis had to laugh quietly to himself, he sounded like a moody teenager.

His thoughts had occupied him for the entire walk from his school building to the train station, and onto the train that would bring him back home. Back to Harry.

When the train started rolling out of the station, Louis plugged in his earphones and put on his favourite album to drown out the background noise from the other passengers and pulled up his text conversation with Harry.

Lou: On my way home now, I'll change then come over? I can take the food on the way. Be there in about forty-five

Haz: Perfect! See you then x

Louis smiled, then texted his mother that he would be over in about half an hour to borrow the car. She said that he was welcome whenever and to tell Harry happy birthday from her. When he was done, he leaned back in his seat, enjoying the chill of the air conditioning keeping the humid mid-summer air out.

...

Louis swore as he had to stop at another red light. He was late, the queue at the catering place had been miles long for whatever reason and ever since leaving it he had matched every traffic light horribly, having to stop what felt like every two feet. He took his eyes of the road to text Harry that he would be there soon and that traffic was a pain in his ass. Harry responded with a thumbs up, which was a tad odd but Louis paid no mind as the light turned green and he sped off towards Harry's apartment.

When he finally got there and knocked on the door, arms full with boxes, he was almost an hour later than planned and Harry was a nervous wreck. He opened the door for Louis, letting him step through and closed it a little aggressively behind him.

"You alright?" Louis asked as he dumped the boxes down onto the kitchen island.

"Yup, totally fine." Harry nodded, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans shorts.

"You look a little tense, mate." Louis chuckled, giving him a onceover. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm just—Nervous, I guess." Harry sighed.

"Why?" Louis asked as they began unpacking the food together and placing it on the countertop. 

"I never host, I want it to be perfect." Harry sighed. "But I'm like- Nervous people won't have fun."

"I am sure they will," Louis reassured him. "You're giving them food and booze, and beer pong by the looks of it." He nodded towards the stack of red solo cups and Ping-Pong balls.

Harry nodded.

"Then I'm sure you'll do fine." Louis smiled.

"I put up flyers for my neighbours in the entrance of the building saying that I'll have a party and that I'm sorry if it's a bit noisy." Harry added.

Louis laughed. "Of course you did."

"And I left a box of earplugs there too if they can't sleep because of me."

"You are so considering of others, Haz."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Harry frowned.

"No, not at all." Louis said quickly. "It's just—I can't understand how you manage to be so nice to everyone all the time."

"The golden rule," Harry said with a smile. "Treat others as you'd like to be treated by them."

Louis shook his head and chuckled. "You are so right."

As they put the last box down on the counter, they stepped back to look at their setup. Happy with the result, they ventured into Harry's small living room to tidy up before the guests arrived, not that there was too much to clean.

"Hey Haz," Louis said after a while of silence. "Is that what you're wearing tonight?"

Harry looked down at his graphic tank top and distressed jeans shorts with a frown. "Yeah, I was planning to, anyway. Is it that bad?"

"No," Louis tilted his head to survey his friend. "I just think that if you're going to go for the kind of frat boy style, you might as well go all the way, you know?"

Harry scrunched his brows together. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you have a snapback somewhere? Like a Packers one?"

"Lou, I feel kind of stupid," Harry whined as he looked himself over in the mirror, now with a snapback on backwards atop his head.

"Stupid hot," Louis supplied with a grin from where he sat on Harry's bed behind him.

Harry glared at him through the mirror.

"I mean it," Louis said with a laugh. "You do look hot, Jacob will notice you big time, no problem."

"Really?" Harry's eyes lit up.

Louis nodded. "Really." At the same time as his brain reminded him, don't be a Heathcliff.

...

"Why are you staring?"

"I'm not, Niall."

"Yeah sure, definitely not."

Louis sent him a glare over the top of his cup. "Shut up."

"Why don't you just go talk to him?" Niall asked instead.

"I can't." Louis sighed.

"Why not?"

"Because he's with... Him." Louis nodded sourly towards the couch where his eye had been glued for the past twenty minutes. To the couch where Harry sat laughing with a group of friends, perched atop Jacob's lap, his hands on Harry's waist as to steady him.

"And why can't you go disturb them?" Niall asked. "If you like Harry, why don't you go over there?"

"I don't like Harry," Louis huffed. "I mean—Not like that, anyway. And I'm no Heathcliff."

"I'm sorry, what?" Niall looked confusedly at him.

"Never mind," Louis sighed. "It's a classics thing."

Niall shrugged. "I still think you should go over there."

"And say what, Niall?" Louis snapped. He did not mean to; he was just so frustrated. "Hey Harry, I think I'm falling in love with you and I hate seeing you with someone else when all I want is you to be in my arms."

"That...Works." Niall said quietly, eyes fixed somewhere over Louis' shoulder.

Oh fuck no.

"I- was just about to... Beer."

Louis turned slowly, to see none other than Harry standing behind him, pointing to his empty cup.

"Harry I—"

Harry shook his head quickly. "No don't- Let's just take this later, okay?"

Louis did not know what else to do, so he just nodded. When Harry had left the kitchen, he slid down the wall to the floor with his hands over his face.

"What the fuck did I just do?" He groaned.

...

They didn't take it later. Not for weeks.

Louis groaned as he heard someone knock on his door, and when the person on the other side did not seem to let up the relentless assault on his front door he rose sluggishly from his couch where he had been for the last how many days, Louis had lost count by five.

He tried to flatten his hair as he walked towards his door to no use, it poked up in every which direction from days of neglect of either washing or brushing it. When he reached his door he peeked through the peephole, and saw a familiar blond head at the other side. He sighed and opened the door a tiny bit.

"What do you want, Niall?"

"You are such a sunshine, you are." Niall rolled his eyes. "Let me in."

Louis looked behind him at his messy flat, with empty takeout boxes and dirty laundry littering the floor, and every available surface was filled to the very last inch with dishes that needed scrubbing.

"I don't know if it's a good time—"

"Oh shut up," Niall shoved through the door.

Louis who knew a lost fight when he saw one, let him.

"Niall wrinkled his nose at the sight of the apartment, then turned to survey Louis.

"I mean this with the most amount of love, but you've definitely seen better days." He said.

"And I love you, too." Louis sighed as he sat back down on the sofa, the cushions beginning to get an imprint on them of his ass, he had been on there for so long.

"Wow, mate you always talk back. What's up?" Niall sat down next to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Is it Harry?"

Louis swallowed, then nodded.

"It's just so infuriating to think about, that if I had told him earlier, and not—not like that..."

"Things would have been different?" Niall supplied; Louis nodded again.

"But would they, though?" Niall said after a moment of silence, surveying Louis.

"Well, maybe he wouldn't be dating Jacob now if I had told him." Louis could not keep the disdain out of his voice even if he had tried.

"Are they dating?" Niall asked.

"I mean, Harry calls him his boyfriend, so." Louis shrugged.

"Well that's- A little awkward, isn't it?" Niall asked, looking over at Louis who let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, I mean—dropping that bomb on him on his birthday wasn't the best move of me, even if it was kind of unintentional. He can do whatever he wants, I don't really care to be honest."

"Of course you care, you idiot." Niall replied. "That's kind of the problem here, isn't it? You care a little too much."

"I don't." Louis said quickly.

"Mhm, and that's why your flat looks like a dumpster and you smell like one?"

Louis let out a snort. "You are terrible."

"You love me anyways," Niall teased.

"I do."

"But not as much as you love Harry, though."

"Remind me again why I don't kick you out and change my locks?" Louis swatted him atop the head.

"Because I would pick your new locks, you know that." Niall laughed.

"And why are you here, again?"

"I am here to get you to stop feeling sorry for yourself." Niall said. "So stop moping and let me help you."

"How are you going to help me exactly?"

"Well for starters I can force you to take a shower, you need one."

"I hate you."

"Badly," Niall added.

"Fuck off," Louis rolled his eyes before rising to go to his bathroom. "I'm taking a shower because I want to, not because you're making me."

"Sure you are!" Niall called after him.

...

It was amazing how much a steaming hot shower could do to help ease the mind, Louis thought as he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist, letting the steam fog up the mirror above his sink. He sighed, and began brushing his teeth as he mulled the situation over in his head. Harry surely hated him now, and he obviously didn't need Louis, judging by the complete radio silence ever since his birthday a little more than a month ago. He had not even called once when his insomnia surely had woken him up. Louis shuddered to think that he had someone else for that now, he had Jacob.

Were they even friends anymore?

Louis shook the horrible thought out of his head as he picked up his bottle of mouthwash, because why not, and swished it around in his mouth before spitting the minty liquid out in his sink, watching it wash down with the water. He wiped his hand over the mirror to clear up a bit to see his reflection more clearly. If Harry didn't want to be his friend anymore, he would die—No. That was his loss.

Louis tried to shake the nasty thoughts off of him as he exited his bathroom. When he saw the state of his flat his jaw dropped to the floor. All of the junk was gone, and so were the dishes, a steady and quiet hum could be heard from the dishwasher in the next room. On the sofa, Niall was scrolling through his phone, but he looked up when he heard the door.

"Well you cleaned up nice!" He said as he sat up, grinning at Louis.

Louis knew that look. "What are you up to?"

"We, my dear Lou, are going to a funfair."

Louis scrunched his brows together. "A funfair?"

"That's right," Niall stood up. "But I'd put some real clothes on if I were you, that looks a little cold." He nodded towards Louis' towel with a wink before going into the kitchen. "You have ten minutes!"

"Yeah, yeah," Louis called back, turning around and going to his bedroom to pick something to wear.

After many inner debates he had landed on a pair of rolled up jeans shorts that ended just above his knee, and a light blue short sleeved button up with paisleys on it. He blow-dried his hair and put on some cologne before going back out to Niall.

"Happy?" He asked.

"Very," Niall nodded. "You look like a snack."

"Stop it," Louis swatted at him. "Are we really going to a funfair?"

"Yes," Niall smiled. "I thought it would get your mind of other stuff.

Louis only gave a small smile back.

...

"Wait—Niall?" Louis asked as they stepped off of the tram that had taken them all the way down to the city pier where the traveling funfair had set up its tents.

"Hm?" The blond asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Harry's not going to be here—I mean, you haven't tried to hoodwink me into talking with Harry by bringing me here?"

"I do not know what you're talking about," Niall said, walking a step in front of Louis.

Louis stopped in his tracks, giving the blond a calculating look. "Niall..." He said warningly.

Niall turned around, giving Louis a pleading look. "Lou, come on. Please. You guys have been friends for way to long for it to just go away like that. He still needs you, and you still need him."

Louis picked up his phone out of his pocket as it vibrated, then turning it to Niall.

"Does this look like he 'needs me' to you, huh?"

It was a picture that Harry had posted on Instagram just now. Louis still had his notifications turned on, not having the heart to turn them off.. It was from the beach just on the other side of the pier that Louis and Niall were standing on. He was riding on Jacobs back, his paler and slightly pink skin contrasting nicely with Jacob's darker complexion. Both clad in scantily short swimming trunks, Harry a yellow pair and Jacob a bright neon pink. They were both smiling brightly at the camera, the sun reflecting in both of their eyes, making them gleam. Harry's arms were around Jacob's neck, one hand in the latter's unruly black hair.

They looked happy.

"He doesn't." Louis said in a small voice. "I had my chance, I fucked it up, and now I'll have to live with that."

"Lou I—" Niall stuttered. "Please, I promise I'll make Harry leave if he tries to approach you if that makes you happy. But we're here, and I've got express tickets for us so that we can skip the line at the attractions."

Louis looked up from his feet slowly, that did sound like a lot of fun.

"Fine." Louis gave in. "But I won't stay long."

"A little of your time is all that I'm asking for." Niall smiled, taking his hand and leading him towards the entrance of the funfair.

...

Louis and Niall had a blast at the fair, enjoying skipping past the entire queue to the rides and squealing as the rollercoaster did its loop. They enjoyed laughing until their stomachs ached in the bumper cars, trying their best to crash as hard as they could into one another.

Soon, Louis had forgotten all about Harry. 

That was until he saw him. Louis and Niall were joking around, an ice cream cone in each of their hands as they walked along the pier, the sun beginning to set in the distance, when they heard raised voices.

"I thought you cared more, about us, about me!"

"I do care!"

Louis and Niall followed the sound carefully, rounding the corner by the Ferris wheel, and there they saw them, looking far less happy than they had done in that Instagram post.

"That's a poor way of showing it, you Jackass."

"Hey! Don't call me a jackass."

"Should we—Go?" Niall nodded his head towards the exit behind them, but Louis stood as glued to the spot.

"But what's this, then?" Louis could hear Harry's voice trembling and it made his heart hurt. "Who's Josslyn, huh?"

"She's a friend, stop being so jealous. It's a bad look on you."

"A friend? Fuck off Jacob." Harry scoffed. "She texted you to come warm her bed, I saw the notification!"

"If you want to behave like a child, maybe I should!"

Louis gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. He saw how Harry deflated where he stood.

"If you want to ruin everything to go an get a quick fuck, I guess you should." He said coldly.

"What do you mean 'Everything?' Come on Harry, this was barely anything serious."

Louis felt as if he was boiling. He saw Harry's face burn with humiliation, more people had stopped in their tracks to stare at the pair.

"Just... Leave." He said finally. "Before her bed gets too cold."

And then he turned, walking towards the edge of the pier and leaning over the railing, head in his hands. Jacob shrugged, and walked towards the exit.

Louis glared at him, and before Niall could stop him, he was stalking towards the other man. When he was close enough, he rammed his barely touched chocolate ice cream cone straight into Jacob's chest, making it drip down and stain his white T-shirt.

"What the fuck?"

"Oops," Louis said coldly. "I slipped, my apologies." And then he turned and walked back to Niall who was standing with his mouth agape.

"What—"

"He deserved it." Louis shrugged. "He's an ass."

"He sure is." Niall agreed. "Want to go ram mine over his head? I'm sure strawberry is a great look with his dark hair."

Louis let out a small laugh. "He 's not worth both of our ice creams. You eat yours. I'm gonna go check on Harry."

Niall nodded, sitting down on a bench and gestured for Louis to go ahead. Louis turned and began to slowly approach Harry, who still had not lifted his head.

When he was close enough, he cleared his throat softly. "Harry?"

Harry looked up, twisting around he caught sight of Louis.

"Oh," he said.

"You... Okay?"

"You saw what happened?" Harry sighed.

"I did." Louis nodded, noting his red rimmed eyes.

"Are you- Crying?"

"...No." Harry wiped at his eyes. "I'm allergic... Pollen."

Louis huffed a soft laugh. "Yeah, okay."

He neared Harry experimentally. When he did not object, Louis stood beside him, leaning on the railing.

"I'm sorry for what happened." Louis said after a while. "That looked rough, I—"

"If you're going to say 'I told you so' I don't want to hear it." Harry said quietly.

"What—Harry why would I ever say that?" Louis asked carefully.

"You told me to stay away from him, that he only uses people until he's bored of them. I didn't listen to you, and I got hurt."

"Harry," Louis wanted to touch him. Give him a hug and tell him that everything would be okay, but he did not know if that was okay. This was the first time they had spoken in five weeks.

Harry's eyes were trained on the waves crashing against the shore below them, his head hanging dejectedly between his shoulders. He mumbled something that Louis did not quite catch.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

Harry just shook his head.

"Harry—"

"Everyone leaves," Harry interrupted him. "What's the point when everyone just ends up leaving."

"Harry, that's not true." Louis said quietly.

"You left me."

"I—Didn't."

Harry lifted his head then, looking over at Louis for the first time. "You did."

"Harry... I accidently told you I had feelings for you, and then you didn't talk to me. I thought that you hated me... Wanted to give you space. And when you started dating Jacob... I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. You didn't even call when the insomnia woke you up."

"I wasn't allowed to." Harry mumbled.

"I'm sorry?"

"Jacob he... Didn't want me to text or call you anymore. We—We hooked up at my birthday, after everyone left and then it all just kind of happened after that. He said that I shouldn't be leading you on by talking to you when I was dating him.

Louis studied Harry. The sun was now barely above the horizon, casting a golden glow over the pier and making Harry's slightly tan skin to almost glimmer. He was so beautiful, Louis really wanted to touch him. He noticed the dark circles under Harry's eyes, the poor boy can't have gotten much sleep lately.

"I'm... Sorry, by the way. Harry muttered. "I guess I didn't think about how that must have been confusing for you."

"Don't apologize to me, Harry. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I was mean to you—"

"That wasn't your fault." Louis interrupted. "Are you... Okay? That sounded pretty rough before."

"I'm okay." Harry shrugged.

They stood in quiet for a while, listening to the waves and the occasional seagull roaming above them.

"Did you... Did you mean it, though?" Harry asked carefully.

"Hm?" Louis looked back at him from where his eyes had been on the sinking sun.

"Are you- uhm." Harry stuttered.

"You can ask me anything, Haz." Louis said softly.

A smile grew on Harry's lips at the sound of the old nickname.

"Did you mean it, when you said that you were falling in love with me?"

Louis felt his heart stop. But, he decided. It was better to just be honest.

"I did."

The silence after those two words seemed to stretch on forever, Louis felt his heart drop to his feet. In his head he begged Harry to say something.

"Good." Harry's voice was barely audible and—When had they gotten so close?

Louis had to direct his gaze upward to be able to look into Harry's eyes, the size difference making itself evident when there was barely an inch between the two of them.

"Is that so?" Louis whispered; voice just as quiet.

"Mhm," Harry nodded. Louis felt his stomach do a flip when Harry's eyes flicked down to his lips and then back again to stare into his.

"And why, may I ask?" Louis felt as if he already knew the answer. But he needed to hear it.

"Because, you dumbass." Harry gave a small smirk, Louis' knees almost buckled. "I am falling in love with you too."

Louis broke out in a wide grin. "I don't blame you, curly."

"Shut up."

"I mean, everyone does. It's the Tommo love spell."

"You are insufferable." Harry laughed softly.

"And that's why..." Louis began.

"And that's why I love you." Harry finished.

"Is it now we kiss?" Louis asked slowly, afraid that his voice would break the magic between them, standing pressed against each other with the sun almost entirely gone behind the horizon.

"Only if you want to kiss me," Harry said.

"I have wanted to kiss you for years." Louis breathed.

"Then go ahead," Harry smiled before he leaned down to meet Louis' lips.

Louis rose onto his toes and as their lips met, fireworks exploded.

Literally.

The funfair was about to close, and finished the final day off with colourful fireworks that exploded in the sky above them. They both broke apart to look up at them. One particular firework formed a pink heart as it exploded.

"When did we enter a sappy romance movie?" Louis asked, looking back at Harry and draping his arms instinctively around the taller boy's neck.

"I don't care." Harry shook his head. "I don't care where I am, as long as you're there with me."

"You are such a sap," Louis laughed.

"A sap who really wants another kiss."

Louis only laughed, shaking his head before leaning up again as they kissed.

Their tongues danced together as they kissed slowly; both of them holding their breaths, not wanting to let the other go just yet.

"You know, my insomnia hasn't been the only thing keeping me awake these last few years." Harry whispered against his lips as they parted.

"No?" Louis whispered back.

"Well, mostly." He said. "But there have been nights, especially when I was with Jacob, that I lay awake thinking of you."

Louis' breath hitched; their eyes met. "Really?"

"Really."

"Glad to know it wasn't only me, then." Louis said in a low voice before connecting their lips again.

"I knew it!"

They broke apart once more and looked to see who had shouted. They saw Niall standing on top of the bench a few meters away where Louis had left them, arms up in a celebratory cheer. They separated and began walking towards him, hand in hand.

"Took you two long enough," Niall teased as they got closer.

"Shut up, Niall." Both of them said in unison.

"I say we celebrate both of you finally getting your two braincells to work—"

"Hey, rude!" Harry said, albeit grinning at the blond.

"Sundaes at Ice Ice Baby, on me." Niall decided, the others agreed instantly.

As darkness fell, the three of them walked out from the pier, heading towards the tram.

Louis had to pinch himself, none of this felt real. But when he did not wake up, he smiled to himself. He would have to accept, that maybe it was.

...

Two years later.

"I think I've broken my back," Louis groaned as he splayed out onto the hardwood floor.

"Don't be so dramatic," Harry chuckled, placing the last of the cardboard boxes down by the wall.

"I heard something crack." Louis pouted.

When he heard something click, Louis looked up from his position on the floor, only to see Harry standing with his new vintage looking Fujifilm camera in front of his face.

"Haz," he whined. "Stop taking pictures of me."

"But you're so pouty and cute," Harry answered, placing the camera carefully on the counter. "I'm just putting your graduation gift to good use, it took me ages to get hold of it, mind you."

"I'm supposed to take embarrassing pictures of you with that though," Louis pouted. "Not the other way around."

"But I just can't help myself." Harry grinned.

"And my back still hurts, come take care of me." Louis huffed.

"Aww poor baby." Harry said, walking over to his boyfriend. "Want me to kiss it better for you?"

"We can assemble our new bed first, then you can kiss me wherever you'd like." Louis teased, laughing when Harry scoffed at him.

"You're an insufferable twat," Harry sat down beside him on the floor. "Remind me again why I bought an apartment with you?"

"Because you are deeply and undeniably in love with me," Louis smiled, scooting over to sit in Harry's lap, his thighs bracketing Harry's.

"You're not wrong there." Harry said quietly.

"But it's okay," Louis tucked a loose strand of Harry's hair behind his ear softly. "Because I'm crazy for you, too."

Harry leaned up, kissing Louis softly. Louis' lips were warm and soft, Harry could never get enough of them. His hands wandered down to Louis' waist, hitching him up higher on his lap, making Louis gasp. Harry took the opportunity to deepen their kiss, licking into his mouth softly, tasting him. Louis tasted like strawberries on a summer night, like hot chocolate in front of a bonfire, and Harry could not get enough.

"Harry," Louis mumbled between kisses. "Haz."

"Hm?" Harry mumbled, beginning to trail kisses down Louis' neck, sucking at the spot just below Louis' ear that he knew drove the boy crazy.

"We need to—get ready." Louis stuttered. "Graduation party- remember?"

Harry groaned. "But what if I just want to stay here with you?" He asked, burrowing his face in Louis' chest.

"My mum would probably kill you." Louis chucked, reluctantly getting to his feet. "Now come on, if you're quick you can join me in the shower."

At that Harry shot to his feet, ushering them both towards their bathroom with Louis giggling, tripping over his feet trying to keep up.

...

"A toast to our new graduate, we are so proud of you Louis." His mother said, raising her champagne glass in a toast, all of the guests following. "For Louis," she said.

"For Louis," everyone echoed.

Louis felt a blush creep up his cheeks. "Thanks, mum."

When the crowd had dispersed somewhat, most of the guests going for the buffet table, his mother made her way over to them, Louis' dad in tow.

"Harry," she greeted. "How are you, love?"

"I'm great, Jay. You?" Harry asked, smiling brightly.

"I'm good." She smiled back.

"When are you going to invite us for dinner?" Louis dad asked, looking between the pair. "We haven't gotten to see your new apartment yet."

Louis laughed. "Soon enough, dad. We just need to get it in order first."

"I heard you're studying for some type of cooking, aren't you Harry?" Jay asked.

"I am," Harry nodded. "I'm studying culinary school, hopefully I'm going to be a pastry chef in not too long."

"And a wine specialist," Louis added. "You should hear him. He never shuts up about it." He teased.

"Oh really, you're studying double?" Jay asked. "That's impressive."

Harry laughed. "Thanks, I couldn't choose between the two, so I took both."

"Louis is starting his internship at that book publishing company next week, and you're studying double. You two make sure you have time over to have fun too, you're young."

"I know dad," Louis smiled, snuggling closer to Harry who instinctively put an arm around his shoulders. "We'll do our best."

"No go on an socialize, Lou." Jay said. "It's your grad party, have fun!"

"I will, mum. Thanks," Louis smiled and gave his parents hugs before he and Harry began walking amongst the other guests.

...

"Hey, Lou?" Harry asked after a while of chatting with Louis' relatives.

"Yeah?" Louis looked up at him with that dazed look that he always had when it came to Harry.

"Can we...?" He nodded towards the doors leading to the backyard.

Louis nodded, following Harry out the door and onto the lavish patio of the grand villa they were renting. They walked until they reached the white stone wall, separating them and the valley below. A soft breeze whispered by them, tousling their hair and smelling of cherry blossom.

"It's so pretty here." Louis sighed, leaning his forearms on the wall. "Isn't it?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Harry stuttered.

Louis looked over at him, confused.

"Harry, you're shaking. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing love." Harry reassured him. "Nothing at all. Just a little cold."

"You sure?" Louis asked, not at all convinced.

"I'm sure, babe." Harry said, so Louis nodded.

"Why don't you film the view with the new camera I got you?" Harry suggested.

"That's a great idea." Louis smiled, picking the small camera up from the pocket of his suit jacket slung over his shoulders, and put it in video mode.

He watched the screen on the camera as he panned over the mesmerizing valley below them. The large fields of bright yellow rapeseed flowers interchanged with some equally as bright purple flower that Louis did not know the name of. The sun was on its steady way down below the mountains in the distance, casting a warm glow over their patio.

Louis spun slowly on the spot wanting to get everything. When he began panning over the back garden of the villa, he was momentarily puzzled to see that Harry was no longer beside him. That was until he had spun to face the doors of the villa, with his back to the fields. He almost dropped the brand-new camera on the concrete below.

There stood Harry, trying not to fidget, on one knee with a small velvet box in his hands.

"Harry, holy fuck I—"

"Lou," Harry cleared his throat, willing his voice to stop trembling.

"We have wasted too much time on sneaking around one another. Too much time not talking, or pretending that what we feel for each other isn't there. And I don't want to waste anymore time. I want to spend every second of every day that I have left to live, by your side."

Louis put a hand to his mouth in shock. "Harry I—"

"That is, if you would let me." Harry opened the box, revealing a small silver ring, dotted with what Louis believed to be tiny diamonds. "Louis Tomlinson, will you marry me?"

"I never thought you'd ask." Louis voice was barely audible.

"Is that a..."

"It's a yes, Hazza. Of course it's a yes."

Harry beamed, standing up slowly and slipping the ring on Louis' finger. They embraced, Louis clutching onto Harry tightly, as if he'd disappear as soon as he let go.

Cheering could be heard from the patio, they both turned. There stood Louis' entire family, as well as Harry's mother and father. They were all clapping and whooping. Louis let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh as they began walking back towards the guests. As soon as they reached them, they were enveloped in tight hugs by both their parents. Harry's mother kissed Louis' cheek lovingly, hugging him tightly as Louis' dad shook Harry's hand tightly, his eyes glassy.

"Congratulations on graduating, again." Harry whispered as he put his arms around Louis. "Fiancé."

"Thank you," Louis wiped at his eyes where tears were falling fast. "Fiancé." He giggled.

"I really want to kiss you now," Harry whispered.

Louis looked up into his eyes, a memory of a sunset just like this on a funfair many years ago bubbled up in his mind's eye.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

As their lips met, Louis felt elated. This was it.

This was love.

...


End file.
